


Crystal Isn't Counting

by atresia



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Baker Crystal, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:00:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23492878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atresia/pseuds/atresia
Summary: Crystal owns a little café. Gigi orders the same exact thing 37 times. And Crystal isn’t counting. She isn’t. Promise.Edited 10/02: Outtakes at the end!
Relationships: Crystal Methyd/Gigi Goode
Comments: 55
Kudos: 240





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been isolating for the last 21 days because I was traveling near and far before this pandemic started. This story idea has been bouncing around in my head so I thought why not. And who doesn’t love Crystal x Gigi? Hope you like it!

It’s Monday. And Crystal is probably the only person in the whole entire world who likes Mondays. She always looks forward to being back in the café after a day off. Amidst the Monday morning coffee rush, Crystal breezily makes her way across the café, saying hello to staff and some regulars, into the kitchen just in time to find Nicky pulling out a tray of freshly baked almond croissants out of the oven. She grabs one and takes a giant bite even before Nicky could set it down on the table.

“These are delicious, Doll,” she says brushing off croissant crumbs from her chin. “I swear, I will eat these out of the trash.” Nicky makes a disgusted face as she transfers her bakes onto a rack. “I would, they’re so good,” Crystal insists as she takes another big bite.

“That’s just nasty!” Nicky hands her a paper towel. “Act like an adult, please.” Crystal being Crystal just sticks her tongue out at her best friend. They’ve known each other for ages. They met when Crystal spent a year in Paris on an exchange program in high school and Nicky just so happened to be her foster sister. They kept in touch throughout the years, occasionally visiting each other or taking holidays together. And when Nicky decided to move here with her boyfriend (now husband), it was no question that they finally open the café they’ve always dreamt of.

Crystal sits across from Nicky reminding her of the week ahead - the boring side of being a business owner. The café has been open for a good three years and business is going great. They have theirclassic _viennoiseries_ courtesy of Nicky, a good selection of coffee and tea (even green juice because millennials, why not), a rotating seasonal menu of pastries and cakes and cookies and all sorts of sweet stuff courtesy of Crystal’s brilliant mind, a staff that they adore, and regular customers that still baffles Crystal. People actually like their food enough to keep on coming back. Mind blowing. “Doll, we have a cake order for…”

Nicky holds up a hand at Crystal. “Let me just interrupt you for a minute,” she says looking past Crystal into the main café. “Your favorite regular is here,” she points out. “Mademoiselle pain au chocolate!” Nicky’s always trying to set her up with someone so she’s been the most invested in Crystal’s little crush.

She looks over to see the girl she’s been crushing on for the longest time. “Gigi! Her name’s Gigi!” Nicky just laughs at her fondly. “We’ll finish this little meeting later.” Crystal gets up, brushing off the last of the croissant crumbs from her shirt, quickly moves to the front telling Nicky that the girl manning the register needs a break. She doesn’t because she just started her shift but Nicky just waves Crystal off, laughing.

With only two other people before _mademoiselle_ _pain_ _au_ _chocolat_ , Crystal manages to calmly send her poor clueless staffer on a very early break. _So much for subtlety_ , she thinks to herself.

Crystal watches Gigi standing there perusing the menu board. She looks perfect. No other girl who looks like her actually eats bread. _Oh, a girl after my own heart._ She’s wondering why she’s even looking, they both know what she’s going to order. Or maybe today is the day she gets something else. She approaches the counter with a wide smile, blinding white teeth and all. “Hello, what can I get you today?” Crystal asks with an equally infectious smile.

“May I please have a pain au chocolat and a flat white for take away, please,” she says looking Crystal straight in the eyes. Crystal recites the exact same sentence in her head. Even the way she orders it does not change. It’s cute. She’s cute.

Crystal grabs a paper cup. “Gigi, right?” she asks as if she didn’t know. Gigi looks up to her surprised she knew her name. “You’ve been here all of 37 times with the exact same order,” Crystal nervously explains. “Not that I’m counting.”

Gigi laughs, suddenly self-conscious. “Leave it to me to be predictable!”

“You can think of it as dependable,” Crystal says as she writes “GIGI” on the cup. “While the pain au chocolat is delicious, might I interest you in trying something new?”

Gigi raised a skeptical brow at her. She doesn’t seem too inclined to agree to that suggestion. “I’m really a creature of habit,” she explains. “I rarely ever deviate from what I’m used to.”

Crystal bags Gigi’s pastry of choice and puts in another pastry with it. “These almond croissants are my favorite. My best friend bakes them, and these,” she says handing Gigi the pastries, “are fresh out of the oven. On the house.”

“All right, great,” Gigi says. Crystal really isn’t giving her a choice. “Thank you.”

Gigi moves towards the door but abruptly walks back up to the counter. “Uh, why don’t you wear one of those, uh, name tags?” she asks gesturing over her heart.

“Huh?” Crystal asks quite dumbly.

“So I’d know the name of the pretty lady who gives me probably the only decent meal I eat in a day?”

_Pretty lady. Wow._ Crystal can now feel her ears burning. She’s trying to stay calm but she’s so ready to burst at the seams. “It’s Crystal.”

“Pretty,” she smiles. “Okay, I have to go,” she says as she turns to the door.

“See you for your 39th pain au chocolat?” she says hopefully as she waves Gigi goodbye. She’s sure she has a dumb smile on her face.

Gigi waves goodbye back. “Or my second almond croissant,” she says with a laugh as she exits the café.

Crystal lets out a breath, feeling like she’s been holding it in for the past 10 minutes. She looks over to the kitchen to see Nicky giving her two thumbs up. Honestly, Nicky’s right. She does need more _romance_ in her life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the likes and reblogs and comments and kudos. I really hope you like this. I just also want to say that I’m enjoying all these new stories everyone has been writing. Makes me forget about quarantine. Stay in and keep safe, everyone.

They’ve long said goodbye to the last of their staff but Crystal and Nicky are still in the kitchen finishing a _very special cake order_. Well, Crystal is. Nicky is just providing commentary and eating the scraps of cake. Usually, this is Crystal’s alone time — she’d have all her baking and decorating paraphernalia out and One Direction blasting from the speakers. It’s her favorite part, the only time and place in life where she doesn’t need to follow a plan.

“What are you even still doing here, Doll?” Crystal asks. “You don’t have to be here. You can just meet me at the place tomorrow.”

Nicky reaches over to dip her finger into the bowl of newly colored frosting Crystal is using to decorate the cake. “I really just want to see this cake,” she says taking another swipe at the frosting. “It’s beautiful, Crystal. Maybe even better than my wedding cake.”

“Hey! I made your wedding cake!” Crystal throws a handful of sprinkles at her.

Nicky shrugs. “I’m just saying.”

“I’m making you an even better one for your baby shower,” she says with a determined face.

“You’ve really outdone yourself, girl.”

She takes a good look at the sparkly cake in front of her and decides that Nicky is right. Crystal was so surprised to receive this cake order so seeing it almost complete makes her even more excited to finally assemble it at the venue. “Thank you,” she smiles. “I didn’t even know they were dating!” she says about the owners of this cake. “Let alone throwing each other birthday parties!”

“No one knew. They’re so cute!” Nicky says showing her a picture of said couple that just suddenly popped up on her Instagram feed. “Speaking of dating…”

“What?” Crystal gives her best friend an exasperated look.

Nicky means well when she tries to meddle in her love life, or the lack thereof. But it just makes Crystal so very anxious. She just wants that fan fiction kind of love. The kind that you write about on the internet behind a silly pen name. The kind that is ravishing and obliterating and electric. It’s impractical. She knows. But she just wants what Nicky has — where she’s been with the same person for the last 12 years and they still look at each other like they just met each other. It’s cute. They’re cute. And Crystal has unrealistic expectations.

“You should ask her out,” Nicky suggests as she picks at the cake scraps. Her being _mademoiselle_ _pain_ _au_ _chocolat._ “She seems like a nice girl.”

Crystal lets out a sigh. She _is_ nice. And beautiful. “I know. She is. And she eats bread.” They both laugh. Honestly, more than anything, the fact that Gigi consumes carbs and still manages to look _like that_ is fascinating to Crystal. “But does she even _like girls_?”

It’s Nicky’s turn to raise a brow at her. “Really, bitch? Are you blind?” Crystal makes a confused face at her best friend. “That girl is blatantly flirting with you.” It’s been a week since they’ve started making small talk at the counter and if she was being entirely honest with herself, she would definitely agree with Nicky.

“Is she really though?” This earns her a slap on the arm. “Ow! What was that for?”

“If you don’t ask her out, I’m revoking the god mother offer,” she threatens as she points to her growing belly.

Crystal drops the spatula petulantly and pouts. “What? That offer has been on the table even before you were married, bitch!” They both laugh.

“No, but seriously. Just go for it,” she insists. “Worst-case scenario, she says no and you don’t have to work the register anymore. Period.”

“But I really like this part. This having a crush part.” She’s irritated at the slight whine in her voice. “It’s like having secret treasure.” If Nicky’s one brow could go any higher, it would. Only Crystal would refer to having a crush as secret treasure. She just gives Crystal a look they’re both way too familiar with. Crystal thinks about it as she goes on smoothing out the frosting. “How about we give it time and I’ll try to ask her out on her 12th almond croissant?”

“You’re such a creepy stalker,” Nicky laughs. Crystal _does_ feel like a creepy stalker. “How are you still counting?”

“I’m not counting,” Crystal insists.

* * *

This is the first date Crystal has been on in… well, honestly, she doesn’t even remember the last time she was out on a proper date. Since the café opened, maybe? But she feels like it’s been way longer than that. She just wants to do everything perfect and not screw this up.

They didn’t even make it to Gigi’s 12th croissant because Gigi beat her to it. On her third. It took Crystal by surprise and at this point, she doesn’t even know what really happened. Gigi was there getting her new favorite breakfast pastry and between paying and handing off her coffee, Crystal found herself saying yes to a question she wasn’t quite sure she heard correctly.

She’s unsure whether she likes this feeling. It is so very unfamiliar — the overwhelming nervousness, the pounding in her chest, the sweating of her palms. But here she is, sat in a table that’s easily seen from the door, feeling _feelings_ like a Pixar movie.

Crystal contemplates if she actually wants to be here. Some part of her wants to call Nicky to come pick her up because she’s so anxious she wants to throw up. She’ll tell Nicky that all she wants to do is stay home, eat a lot of gelato, and whine about how true love is nothing but a myth.

But a bigger part of her wants to stay. Because what if it’s Gigi and love is _not_ a myth. You start with nothing, or a little something, and maybe end with everything. Right? Maybe.

She looks up from her phone to see Gigi briskly approaching her with a wide smile. But in her crazy love sick mind, Gigi walks in through the door in slow motion, perfectly centered in a beam of flattering light. _Dramatic_. She stands up to greet her but she’s quickly enveloped in a hug. “Crystal! It’s so great to see you.”

Crystal is taken aback, not expecting a full on hug she herself usually just reserves for family and very close friends.

“Sorry, I’m a hugger,” Gigi explains. She’s not simply a hugger, Crystal thinks to herself. She’s a damn great hugger.

Crystal laughs nervously. She resists the urge to say something stupid. “You look nice,” she says instead. “I like your dress.” How she’s suddenly dumbed down to the vocabulary of a child, she doesn’t know.

Gigi gives her an even more excited smile and a little side to side twirl. “Thanks, I made it. And it has pockets,” she says putting her hands inside said pockets.

They settle into their seats and order an obscenely large meal to share. To Crystal’s delight (and utter surprise), the conversation flows on smoothly.

Crystal talks about how her year in Paris ignited her love for baking. How she initially wanted to be a doctor but decided that she’d rather have baker’s hours than doctor’s hours. How she’s recently having bad baby fever — in an auntie kind of way — because of Nicky’s baby.

Gigi tells her about how she used to work in her mom’s little atelier back home. How she found herself moving to this city not so long ago. How the pace of a PR firm is so different from the atelier — that it’s deathly stressful but oddly satisfying.

They exchange stories of their travels abroad. Their favorite local food finds. Their mutual love/hate relationship with yoga and spinning — deciding that they should go together one of these days. What they’re currently streaming online. Their favorite Disney villains — both agreeing that they are more important and more interesting than the princesses. Their zodiac signs and Myers Briggs types — Crystal being a firm believer in both, Gigi not so much. Their tattoos and future tattoos — Gigi promises a show and tell for a future date.

The food is delicious. Crystal makes a mental note to leave the restaurant a great review on Yelp. The conversation is organic. It’s comfortable. It’s earnest. The company even better. Whatever self-doubts Crystal had in the beginning is gone.

They’re waiting outside the restaurant for each of their Ubers, still talking non-stop, when Gigi suddenly turns to Crystal. “I have to tell you something,” Gigi says. Crystal gestures for her to continue. “I…” she hesitates. Crystal just looks at her expectantly. Gigi chuckles to herself.

“What?” Crystal is a little bit confused. Why is she suddenly shy? “Do I have something in my teeth?” she asks running her tongue across her teeth.

“I watch one of your baking videos every night before going to sleep,” she says feeling her face turning red. She’s sheepish about it — and in the short time she’s known Gigi, it is not a word Crystal ever thought she’d use to describe this girl.

“You found my YouTube channel.” It’s not a question. It’s a statement of disbelief. Crystal covers her face with both her hands. If only the ground would swallow her now. “This is so embarrassing.” They both laugh.

“It’s not,” Gigi insists. “Would it make you feel better if I told you I have one too?”

Crystal cocks her head to the side, slightly contemplating this statement. “Only if I get to watch those videos.”

Gigi scrunches her nose. “Oh, it’s out there. You just have to find it,” she says with a little wink.

“Oh, I’m gonna look for it. Trust.”

There are still so many things to say but Crystal’s phone vibrates, letting her know that her car is nearby. “I had fun tonight.”

“We should do this again,” Gigi suggests. Her face is unsure. As if she’s expecting Crystal to say no. As if they didn’t just have the best time tonight.

“I’d love to.”

Gigi goggled, as if trying to process that answer. Crystal looks at her and thinks that Gigi’s face is so very expressive and her expressions are naturally exaggerated that she’s not even aware.

“Why do you look so surprised?”

Gigi let out a nervous giggle. “I didn’t think you’d say yes the first time, let alone…”

“After I've been counting how many croissants you’ve eaten? Really?”

They look at each other and and burst out laughing. “I thought you weren’t counting?”

Gigi once again envelopes her in a hug. It’s warmer and more comfortable than before. She feels Gigi breathe her in, but she may also be delusional.

Crystal settles herself in the car and quickly shoots Nicky a text about how her spot as Crystal’s favorite person has been replaced by one Gigi Goode. _This_. Crystal feels like the Universe willed _this_ into existence. _This_ is legit. Crystal’s interested. Gigi’s interested. _This_ is actually finally happening. Thank you, Universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That “very special cake order” Crystal is working on in the beginning of this chapter, in my head, is Alaska ordering a birthday cake for Katya — all in the universe of my Katlaska story (Alaska Doesn’t Know). Maybe I should write more of that. Would you be interested? Let me know. Also, come say hello. 💖


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-dah! I finished it! Okay, so this slightly got away from me — too much writing and editing and cutting and rewriting. I hope you still like it. See you again next time! Next time being all the outtakes from this one, cut and set aside for later. More importantly, thank you all for the overwhelming positivity about the last chapter. 💖

Crystal and Gigi set up their little picnic in their usual spot — under a tree, away from most people, with a great view of the city. Not only is it a gorgeous warm day out, Nicky’s little girl is turning three this week. Nicky is not one to throw elaborate parties so a peaceful mid-week picnic is perfect (also a perfect excuse to play hooky from the café). Juno makes a bee-line for Gigi the moment she sees her, leaving her mother hot on her heels. Gigi kneels to the ground ready to scoop up her favorite tiny human and smother her with kisses. Crystal swears Gigi once declared her universal dislike for children. But look who’s absolutely smitten right now.

Gigi excitedly tells Juno she has a surprise for her and reaches into her tote for a little flower crown she insisted that Juno absolutely had to have. She looks more excited for the flower crown than Juno is but the little girl is no less than enthusiastic.

“I have bangs!” Juno proudly announces while Gigi pins the little crown on her little blonde head, arranging her oddly crooked bangs as neatly as possible across her forehead.

Crystal is shocked that Gigi reaches over for _another_ flower crown, much bigger and more floral, for herself. Nicky looks over with a questioning look. Crystal just shrugs. She lets her do whatever makes her happy.

“We match!” Gigi says wearing the crown and rearranging her own bangs. Crystal likes this hair. To her, it’s classic Gigi — a rich chocolate brown, long waves over both shoulders, freshly trimmed bangs, no hair out of place. “Happy birthday, baby,” Gigi says patting Juno’s cheek tenderly.

“ _Boo-tiful_!” Juno reaches over to give Gigi a slobbery kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Gigi,” she says before shifting her attention to the container of strawberries Crystal is opening. “Those _stow-bellies_ are really big,” she says pointing to the container.

“I love your hair, Juno,” Crystal says as she hands her some fruit. She playfully shoves Gigi away wanting her turn for Juno kisses. She sweeps Juno onto her lap tickling her until she giggles and squirms.

Nicky groans. “They’ve been learning how to use scissors in school and she decided that paper wasn’t enough of a challenge.”

Crystal laughs at Nicky’s annoyance. Anything Juno does is adorable and heart-melting to Crystal and Nicky’s patience with all her shenanigans is admirable. So to hear her actually annoyed at the crooked haircut is hilarious to Crystal. “Maybe she just realized that she has a five-head like her mother.”

Nicky throws a pack of wet wipes at her. “Leave my five-head alone!” This gets the three girls laughing so hard and Juno looking at them confused before joining in with the laughter.

They fall into comfortable conversation and tuck into the picnic spread Crystal packed for them — ham and cheese croissant sandwiches, Juno’s favorite fruits: oranges and strawberries and blueberries, mini strawberry cupcakes (absolutely covered in pink glitter courtesy of Gigi, the biggest child, because glitter makes everything look nice), birthday cake cookies as big as Juno’s face. It’s too much for just the three of them, considering their fourth companion eats like a bird. But this is Crystal’s love language — food. So they indulge her by letting her go through all this trouble. And themselves by partaking in this spread.

Juno is tired of them just talking. “No more today,” she says with her little hand up as if signalling them to stop, before she runs off leaving the boring adult conversation behind.

“I can’t believe she’s three,” Crystal says watching Juno run around with a smooshed up strawberry in her tiny hand.

Nicky just looks like a proud momma, because she is. This child, the bringer of joy. “I can’t believe _you_ are three,” she says pointing to Crystal and Gigi. She’s very proud of her best friend, too. Before Gigi, there was an amicable but painful end to a six-year relationship followed by a series of so-so _only_ first dates until she completely gave up. This is why Nicky was so insistent on getting her back into the dating game. Because _this_ Crystal right now is the _best_ Crystal.

Gigi flips her hair and breaks into a wide smile. “I know.”

“Two years, 352 days, give or take 9 hours,” Crystal deadpans. But this is so very Crystal to count and keep track, it’s not a surprise to anyone.

All three of them burst out laughing. “I thought you weren’t counting?” Gigi asks between breaths.

“I’m not.” Crystal nudges shoulders with Gigi. They look at each other fondly and Crystal is pretty sure she can devote the rest of her life just looking at this face. She’s also pretty sure Gigi can tell.

“Can you guys stop being cute,” Nicky says. “It’s distracting.”

“ _Kiss-tal_!” Juno comes barreling onto Crystal’s lap trying to feed her what was once a strawberry.

“Thank you, darling” Crystal pretends to chomp on her fingers, making the little girl squeal with delight.

“A bit messy,” she says trying to wipe her sticky hands on her dress.

“Hang on, sweetie. Let Crystal wipe your hands first,” Nicky says handing Crystal a wet wipe. Crystal successfully wipes off the sticky mess from the child’s hands and face and starts covering Juno’s face with kisses and blowing raspberries into her neck.

Juno is tired of it quickly and shifts her attention to Gigi. It’s always Gigi. She squirms to get off Crystals lap. “Gigi!” she squeals with her little arms outstretched. Gigi picks her up and arranges her against her chest for a good snuggle.

“You’re her favorite snuggle buddy,” Nicky comments. “She’s never that calm with us. Or with Crystal. Or with anyone, really.”

“This,” Crystal says pointing to Gigi and Juno. “I’m actually a little jealous of this. I was supposed to be the favorite auntie.” The whine in her voice very much like a toddler. But really, Crystal is also a favorite — the enabler, the one Nicky is sure Juno will run to as a teenager. Crystal once told Nicky that it will be her life mission to spoil the shit out of Juno. Parenting decisions and consequences should be left with the actual parents to deal with.

“Must be that first time I babysat her,” Gigi says. The three of them snicker at the memory. It was chaotic and hilarious and at some point, Gigi thought she’d never volunteer to babysit Juno again. “We worked through our issues and now we’re here, the bestest of friends,” she says sniffing the hair of the drowsy toddler.

“When I tell you we were rolling on the floor laughing, we were _literally_ on the floor,” Nicky suddenly snorts at the memory, Crystal laughing along with her. Gigi is shaking quietly, trying so hard not to disturb Juno who seems to be almost asleep.

Juno snuggles in closer to Gigi but reaches a hand out to Crystal. “ _Kiss-tal_ , cookie!” She’s smart. She knows exactly who to ask and who will most definitely give in.

Before Crystal the enabler could even reach into the container, Nicky has taken it away. “No more cookies for you, little one.” Crystal is just about to insist that it’s fine, it’s her birthday, let her live her best life. But Nicky knows. She raises a brow at Crystal, an admonishing look on her face — a look Nicky learned from her mother and one that the both of them were all too familiar with when Crystal lived with them that one year. She argues that they’ve all just had too much sugar today.

“You’re such a mom,” Crystal teases, covering the container of cookies and putting it in Nicky’s bag. Because she knows. When the baby is asleep, that line about having too much sugar for the day is quickly forgotten.

Juno is starting to get cranky. Nicky tries to take her from Gigi but her little chubby hands are holding on for dear life onto Gigi’s shirt that is now wet with saliva and tears. “Should we head home for a nap, baby? Before we have to meet papa for dinner?” Juno resists, still demanding she wants that cookie. “She’s tired,” Nicky explains to the girls. She’s trying to avoid monster Juno. She packs up their stuff and scoops the little girl up on to her hip, Juno taking some of Gigi’s hair with her. Nicky insists they stay and enjoy the rest of the gorgeous day. “Say bye to Gigi and Crystal,” she says calmly, coaxing Juno into a smile, as if the child isn’t throwing a fit. She’s an incredible mom, the kind Crystal hopes she’ll be like if she had children of her own. She waves the girls goodbye and leaves them to enjoy the peace and quiet.

Crystal leans back into her lawn chair, opening her book to where she left off. She’s relaxed. And replete. And simply existing in the moment. She likes this. It’s satisfying. And fulfilling. Old souls, the both of them —80-year-olds trapped in 20-something-year-old bodies, content doing nothing together. She peeks over at Gigi basking in the sun with her eyes closed. But she’s smiling so hard Crystal can see all her teeth. “What are you smiling about?”

“Can I be real with you?” she says opening her eyes.

“You should always be real with me.” Gigi scoots her chair closer and suddenly Crystal’s aware of everything — her heart beating triple time, the sound of her breathing, a little Olympic gymnastics team practicing their floor routines in her gut, an itch on her elbow she’s sure wasn’t there a moment ago.

“I’m really glad the Universe made us happen.” That smile. Crystal loves that smile — like she wished on all the stars hard enough and all her wishes are coming true.

The Universe, they’re both firm believers in the Universe. “She just got the ball rolling; we made us happen. What brought this on?”

Gigi chuckles. “Nothing, just feeling a little bit sentimental. Juno’s getting so big now.”

Crystal understands. She knows exactly what Gigi means. Crystal has been inadvertently measuring _their_ time against Juno’s milestones. And this is so inherently her to keep track, to make mental notes of everything — especially of the last three years.

They’ve gone from seeing each other every day when Gigi comes into the café for her breakfast-to-go to moving in together and Gigi getting her coffee in the comfort and warmth of their bed _(she still comes by for a pastry once in a while, or else she’ll just ask Crystal to bring home the leftovers and she’ll guiltlessly have three)_.

They’ve gone through arguments about funky hair colors _(Crystal arguing that Gigi bleaches her hair blonde all the fucking time and Gigi saying that blonde is a natural person’s hair color, unlike green or blue or purple)_ and thrown out sourdough starter and an overflowing closet, a perpetually cluttered vanity, and an equally overflowing not-so-secret box of newly purchased clothes and makeup under the bed. They’ve surprisingly never argued about home decor _(even if Crystal sneaks in her dinosaurs, Gigi doesn’t mind)_ and food choices and how cold their bedroom should be.

They’ve decided to throw spinning out the window and keep doing yoga instead _(Crystal has started perfecting her udrha padmasana and Gigi is still just as happy and in a hurry to get to shavasana)_. They’ve marathon watched all of RuPaul’s Drag Race, including All-Stars, and decided to agree to disagree on their favorite Queens _(surprisingly, the only thing Gigi has the attention span to sit through, other than sewing)_. They’ve introduced each other to their favorite movies and made a list of things to watch together ( _not that Gigi actually has the patience to sit down and watch, her attention span is as short as Juno’s)_.

They’ve tagged along with Nicky and her little family on a holiday to Paris where Crystal spent the majority of their time taking Gigi to her favorite patisseries and boulangeries and eating all the best bread and butter the world has to offer.

They’ve gone through a café expansion and a career change _(with Crystal’s encouragement, insisting that the café is doing well enough to sustain them, Gigi quit her day job and turned her little dressmaking sideline business into a full-time thing; she’s much happier doing this)_. They’ve gone on trips to each of their hometowns. They’ve got matching tattoos. They’ve been on each other’s YouTube channels. They’ve decided on plant babies for now and animal babies later on. 

They’ve gone on countless aquarium dates _(Gigi’s favorite kind of date, especially when Crystal starts to speak whale)_ and weekend picnics when the sun is out _(where Crystal packs up a basket of bread and charcuterie and cheese and fruit and wine and popcorn because Gigi loves popcorn, where Gigi packs up the car with foldable lawn chairs and a picnic blanket and a cooler full of ice, where Crystal makes sure their phones are fully charged and Spotify playlists are updated, where Gigi packs up her tote with sunscreen and sun glasses and hand fans for when it gets too hot and a blister pack of antihistamines for Crystal’s crazy allergies and a book especially picked for the weekend, where they can sit in silence doing things on their own but enjoying each other’s company)_ and annual trips to Universal Studios for Halloween Horror Nights _(where Crystal always ends up losing Gigi in the crowd and Gigi swearing she’ll never come back but with Crystal being the one plagued by nightmares for the next week, where despite the chaos of this Halloween, they’ll be back next year anyway)_.

They’ve worked through Crystal’s self-doubts. She has this thing where if someone likes her, she feels like she tricked them into it or the Universe is cruel enough to play with her. But Gigi is always there — a constant reassuring presence when Crystal just _Crystals too hard_. She tells Crystal that she’s here, she’s real, that everything feels beyond right, that the Universe knew it was love before they did. Crystal has come to realize that this love is free. It’s full. It’s fruitful. And it’s faithful. Just exactly what she needs.

Crystal’s feeling sentimental too. And if she’s being honest, a bit lost. Because she never really planned for after. She has a major life goals checklist and so far, there’s nothing left. Finish school, check. Open a café, check. Fall in love, check — she thought this would take longer but she thinks Gigi just came at the right time. What comes after? Crystal the counter. Crystal the planner. And suddenly she doesn’t have anything for after. No, not plans for _after_ Gigi because there’s no way she’s letting that happen. But plans for after _with_ Gigi.

“You have that look again,” Gigi notices.

“What look?”

“Thinking.”

Crystal nods. She’s always thinking, always planning, always counting. “What’s next?”

“I’m down for a nap,” Gigi suggests. This makes Crystal chuckle. Because Gigi is _always_ down for a nap.

“No, I mean for us?”

“Does there have to be a plan?”

“I don’t know, I just like planning things.”

“I know. My plan is to bother you everyday for the rest of my life, if that’s a big enough plan for you.”

“Yeah?” This is a great plan. She looks at Gigi and there’s an exciting feeling of everything falling into place.

“Only if you want me to.”

“Okay, yes.” Of course she does. She hasn’t spent the last three years obsessing over this girl for this not to be okay.

And before Crystal can protest, Gigi is sat on her lap, tangling her arms around her neck. “Excuse me, please respect my personal space,” playfully pushing Gigi away. She doesn’t mind this, really. The weight of Gigi keeps her grounded, literally and figuratively.

Gigi moves her hands to Crystal’s face, tracing the her features like she always does — the bridge of her nose, the freckles scattered on her cheeks, her bottom lip, the ridges of her ears. Gigi says she does this because she’s blind without her eyeglasses, blind without her contacts, blind at night in bed. But it’s easier now because the pads of her fingers have memorized Crystal’s face. She leans in to kiss Crystal’s nose. “Not a chance,” she says as she nuzzles closer.


	4. Outtake 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Gigi babysits Juno

“She’ll be okay, right?” Nicky asks as she takes a swig of water from her tumbler.

Crystal looks up from the cake she’s frosting. “Who?” 

“Gigi.” Yes, Gigi. She’s babysitting Juno today. It’s the first time Nicky’s leaving the baby. Crystal tried to convince her that she didn’t need to come back to work yet but Nicky insisted on helping out when she saw the sheer volume of orders they’ve been getting recently. 

Business is business and Crystal isn’t complaining. It just gets a tad bit overwhelming sometimes. Who would have thought that gay famous drag queens ordering a cake from them would bring in this much business? And who was Crystal to turn down another set of helping hands? Between the two of them and three other girls from their staff, they’ll be done in no time.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine, doll,” she says trying to sound reassuring. Honestly, she wasn’t even sure herself. Gigi admitted on the way to Nicky’s house that she’s never babysat for any child younger than five. “She’ll call if anything happens, she promised.” Nicky nods and continues on with her work.

They each make quick work on one tier and decide to break for lunch. “Poor Gigi, I’ve been ignoring all her texts today,” Crystal says.

“She knows you’re busy, she’ll understand. She’s busy too. Hopefully looking after my child.”

“But Nicky, I kind of really miss her.”

“Oh.” Nicky is amused at the slight whine in Crystal’s voice but also slightly taken aback by this confession. It’s so very typically Crystal to wear her heart on her sleeve. 

“Is it weird? We’ve only been together… what, four months?”

“Does it matter?”

“I guess not.”

“It shouldn’t. Just let yourself feel things.”

“When did you get so smart?” Crystal jokes as she pulls out her phone to read through all her messages.

“I’ve always been smart. You just never listen to me.”

“They’re fine, look!” Crystal shoves her phone in Nicky’s face. “You also have a very adorable daughter.”

Nicky smiles at the picture. “I know,” she acknowledges. Why deny it if it’s true?

Crystal keeps scrolling on her phone, laughing sporadically. “I like how she’s giving me the play-by-play.”

Crystal tries to read this out loud to Nicky but fails miserably. She loses it, officially — laughing and crying and unable to stop. She hands her phone to Nicky and now they’re both literally rolling on the office floor laughing. 

“She’s going to be so upset if she finds out we laughed at her misery,” Crystal says. 

They compose themselves and get back to work. It’s easy to forget the time because their kitchen is a comfortable space and Crystal actually loves doing what she does. And Nicky is a workhorse — exhausted from mothering but still decorating cakes without asking for any help. Six dozen cupcakes and 20 individual cake tiers later, they’re ready to call it a day. 

Nicky lets Crystal into a dimly lit house. Gigi is asleep on the couch — feet up on the arm rest, head propped up by pillows, Juno on her chest, both of her hands securely over the baby’s back. 

Nicky gently takes the baby, kisses Crystal on the cheek, and quietly whispers a thank you and good night before heading up the stairs. Crystal takes a good look at Gigi. She feels achy and happy and strange. It’s crazy how quickly she’s gotten in too deep with this girl. 

Crystal crouches down and brushes a finger down Gigi’s nose. She doesn’t know why but she’s so very fascinated by this nose. Gigi quickly opens her eyes, suddenly aware that Juno is gone. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Where’s Juno?” Gigi asks, voice raspy from sleep.

“Nicky took her upstairs. Are you ready to go?” Gigi nods but closes her eyes again. “It’s not that late. We can pass by that place to grab something to eat before I drive you home,” Crystal suggests.

Crystal moves by her feet and pulls her up to sit. Gigi lazily lets herself be pulled up and rests her head on Crystal’s shoulder. “You smell like butter and sugar,” she whispers.

“You do know I work in a bakery, right?”

“But you always smell like this,” she says taking a long sniff of Crystal’s hair. “I like it. You always smell good. Also, I kind of have a large nose. I’m much more sensitive to food smells than the average bear.” Gigi sniffs her own hair. “I, on the other hand, smell like soiled nappies.”

Crystal tells her she doesn’t. She gets up and pulls Gigi up with her. Gigi gathers her things while Crystal sets the timer for Nicky’s coffee maker. This is what they do, Nicky and her, they take care of each other — even if it just means making sure that coffee will be ready in the morning. Crystal locks up and takes Gigi’s hand to hold on the short walk to the car. 

“Hey.” Gigi stops walking and pulls on Crystal’s hand has they walk out to the car. “You didn’t reply to any of my texts today,” she says.

“I…” Crystal hesitates for a bit and takes a step back. Gigi looks at her with a pout. Crystal isn’t sure what Gigi wants her to say. It isn’t exactly a secret how much she had to accomplish today. 

Gigi looks away. “I know you were busy but I just really missed you today, okay.” There’s a shyness in her voice that Crystal has become somewhat familiar with; it comes when they talk about feelings. It hasn’t happened a lot but it has happened enough for Crystal to pick up on it. It’s funny to her how they’re opposites when it comes to baring emotions — Gigi, poised and polished and a bit stoic and seemingly unbothered but underneath, gentle and sensitive and soft. And Crystal, heart always on her sleeve, soft through and through. 

Crystal looks at Gigi intently. She was just whining to Nicky how much she missed Gigi today. “Me too.”

“Good to know.” 

There’s a little flutter in her chest she isn’t sure what to call. Relief, maybe? Validation on a level Crystal wasn’t aware she needed? Gigi beams back at her and suddenly they’re giggling like teenagers. “Good to know.”


	5. Outtake 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one about the morning after

Crystal wakes up to the familiar feeling of her feet being the only part of her body that’s cold in the morning and an unfamiliar feeling of a warm and naked body draped over her similarly warm and naked body. She’s never had Gigi, or anyone for that matter, spend the night at her apartment before. She stops herself from panicking because there is no space for panic here.

She opens her eyes to see Gigi staring back at her. “How long have you been awake?”

“I’m not awake,” Gigi whispers. “I’m having the most fantastic dream.”

“Tell me about this dream,” she says, shifting their bodies so they’re facing each other, nose bumping nose, tucked underneath Crystal’s warm and heavy blanket. She could happily stay like this with her all day.

“Well, for starters, I’m in bed with an incredibly sexy lady.” Gigi reaches up to tuck some of Crystal’s loose curls behind her ear and lingers there to play with her ear.

“I like this dream.”

Gigi leans in closer for a kiss — lazy and soft and intimate. And it lasts for a long time. “In my dream, we had amazing sex last night,” Gigi says with her eyes still closed, a satiated look on her face. “And now, if I’m lucky, we might get to do it again.”

“I think I like this dream of yours a whole lot.” She wants to tell Gigi that she likes _her_ a whole lot, it’s driving her crazy.

“I hope I don’t wake up.”

“But what if I told you I was going to make you breakfast?”

“I can be persuaded,” Gigi nods, she hasn’t had a decent homemade breakfast in so long. Not that her breakfasts at Crystal’s café aren’t decent, they just aren’t specifically made for her. “But I really don’t want to get up. What is in this bed anyway?” she asks as she stretches out.

Crystal knows what she’s talking about. This bed is her definition of luxury. She spent a lot of time and money trying to find the perfect mattress and pillows and sheets. This was her one non-negotiable. She dragged Nicky to every mattress store she could Google within the vicinity of her apartment. She bought and tried out countless packages of sheets – 500-thread count 100% Pima cotton, 480-thread count sateen, 19-momme Mulberry silk. Because why not? People spend an average of 26 years out of their whole lifetime in bed, might as well invest in a good one.

“Angel wings? Unicorn feathers? Actual clouds from the actual sky?” This is exactly what Crystal was thinking the first time she slept in her bed. She’s happy to share the luxury of this bed with Gigi and even more satisfied that she seems to appreciate it.

“You can stay while I make us food,” Crystal says, hesitantly untangling her limbs from Gigi’s. She doesn’t want to get up too. But her stomach is already grumbling. “How do you feel about coffee?” she asks as she puts on a robe.

“I feel great about coffee,” Gigi says sitting up. “I’ll meet you out there.”

Crystal decides on crêpes. Because it’s a Sunday. And Sunday’s are Nutella crêpe days. She’s throwing out her practice one (because the first crêpe is always for the dog, as the French say) when Gigi pads to the kitchen in another one of her robes. “How do you feel about Nutella crêpes?”

“I have very strong, positive feelings about crêpes and Nutella,” she says with a nod while reaching over to take the coffee mug that Crystal is passing over. “Need me to do anything?”

Crystal tells her no and that she’s almost done. She smears a sinful amount of Nutella on the freshly cooked crêpe and hands Gigi a plate. “Bon appétit!” She points over to some bananas and strawberries and tells Gigi to help herself.

“Oh my god, so good,” Gigi practically moans into her fork.

“Now I know you meant it last night in bed because you said it just like that,” Crystal looks at her with an amused expression as she wipes some chocolate off her lips.

“Cheeky,” Gigi smirked at her. “Stop talking to me. I need to concentrate when I eat this.”

“Hey, do you want ice cream? I went a little crazy at the store yesterday.”

“For breakfast?” Crystal is already reaching into her freezer for a pint.

“With crêpes?” Crystal makes a confused face at her, as if she wasn’t the one with the crazy idea. “Why not?”

They finish the rest of their breakfast in comfortable silence, like anything louder than their forks grazing their plates, and their coffee mugs hitting the counter would destroy this tender moment. Crystal looks at Gigi and for a moment she wonders why she was hesitant to have more people in her life in the first place. She was content with her immediate family, however far away they may be, and her chosen family that is Nicky and her husband. For a while she thought that her space wasn’t good enough for other people yet. But that’s the thing, it’s always going to be a little messy or not quite where she wants it to be. And she shouldn’t have let that stop her. Because this right here is a warmth that is soothing and fits perfectly into her space. And she feels like she deserves it. She _knows_ that she deserves it.

“Do you have plans today?” Gigi is first to break the silence.

“I was going to make myself another cup of coffee and lay on the couch watching television the whole day.”

“Does this couch have space for another person?” There it is again, the uncertainty in Gigi’s voice. Crystal leads her to the living room and pulls Gigi down with her as she plops herself on the couch. “First your bed, now your couch,” she says leaning against the softness, careful not to spill coffee on this glorious piece of furniture. “You are incredible at picking out furniture. I could stay here forever.”

“Well, then, you’re in luck. Because I’m going to keep you here for a very long time.” She clinks her coffee mug against Gigi’s. What a coincidence, they want the same thing. It’s perfect.


	6. Outtake 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Crystal has a bad day

On bad days, Crystal takes a long walk home. It’s not ideal in this city but walking gives her time to think and decompress. Besides, it isn’t that late; Nicky sent her home early while the sun is still up knowing that she’d opt to walk. She couldn’t wait to get home, order a pizza, open a bottle of wine (or two), and watch The Great British Bake Off. Yes, that always calms her down.

She walks up to her front step and reaches into her pocket for her keys. _Nope, not there_. She digs in her bag, _maybe it’s in her bag_ – her water bottle, a canvas grocery bag that takes up too much space (because she never really figured out how to roll it properly), her wallet that’s way too big considering she never keeps cash on hand anyway, lip balm, another lip balm, and another _(why the fuck does she have three?)_ , hand sanitizer, baby wipes, a long-forgotten granola bar, but no keys. Her keys aren’t anywhere to be found at the moment. This isn’t the time for this.

She thinks back to her day. She opened the cafe with that set of keys, opened her office, and… yeah, she realizes that she left her apartment keys with the rest of the bundle in her office. She isn’t about to call Nicky to come get her, not with a baby to take care of. But this sucks, she has the only spare key to her apartment. Not that Nicky wouldn’t take her in for the night, she just doesn’t want to impose. And she isn’t about to go back to the cafe just for her keys. _No, thank you._

Crystal sits on her front step and drops her head in her hands. Today has just been a series of unfortunate events – a kitchen staffer who didn’t come to work leaving them short on manpower, an oven that decided that today was the day it took its last fucking breath, one unnecessarily rude customer who wanted impossible things, an incredibly painful sugar burn. Oh, shit. She remembers she has to put some burn ointment on the back of her hand. Ointment that is inside her medicine cabinet in her bathroom that’s inside her apartment that she can’t get into right now. She groans in frustration. _What. A. Day._

She considers going around the back to check for an open window but no, she never leaves her windows open. And she’s also not about to climb through a window.

She picks up her phone to see who else would take her in. She could call her brother but he lives an hour away. He’d come to get her, for sure, but she also doesn’t want to impose. He must be busy. Surely she doesn’t only have Nicky and her brother to run to.

Gigi. She pauses for a bit, a little bit hesitant to make the call, before tapping on her name. That’s what girlfriends are for, right? She wonders why she didn’t think of Gigi in the first place. And come to think of it, she should just give Gigi a spare key. But that’s for next time. Today, she needs saving.

“Did you read my mind or what?” Gigi asks as she picks up after the second ring.

“What?”

“I was just about to call you. Are you home?”

“Are you home?” she asks in return. “Are you busy tonight? Can I come over?” _Come on, Crystal. Give the girl time to answer_ , she berates herself.

“Yes, no, and yes,” Gigi chuckles. “Are you okay?”

She takes a deep breath and, with far too much emotion, goes on to tell her about her horrid day. “So to sum it all up, I’ve had the worst day and now I’m locked out of my apartment.”

“Poor, baby,” Gigi says. “I’m picking up after myself already.” Crystal knows this means she’s taking her pile of clothes from _that_ chair to stuff into her closet (wrinkled clothes be damned), neatly piling up her unwashed dishes in the sink, spraying bleach in her toilet, lighting a candle so her place smells good, and changing her sheets just in case.

Crystal sighs in relief. She doesn’t know why she thought Gigi would say no. And she didn’t even have to ask twice. “You’re my savior. I’ll stop and get pizza on the way.”

Gigi opens the door with a bright smile and suddenly, the stress of Crystal’s day fades away. She always looks like this when she sees her, like she’s always excited to see Crystal. “Hey,” Gigi greets as she takes the pizza box from her hands. “You look as exhausted as you sounded on the phone.” She opens the door wider to let Crystal all the way in and drops a kiss on her cheek as she walks past. 

Crystal pauses for a while and looks at Gigi before leaning in for a proper kiss, as proper as it can get with a pizza box between the two of them. “Thanks for adopting me,” she says. And she really is grateful.

Gigi just smiles at her tenderly. “Of course. And I’m actually pretty insulted that you thought of me third?” she says with a light-hearted laugh as she ushers Crystal through the living room into the kitchen.

Crystal just laughs sheepishly. “I have no excuses.”

“Here, take this,” Gigi says, handing her two wine glasses and a newly opened bottle of red. “Go sit down on the couch, you look like you’re about to collapse. I’ll get everything else.”

Crystal settles herself on the couch (it’s not as soft as her couch, but it’s the company that counts) and pours them each a hefty amount of wine. She’s soon followed by Gigi who drops the pizza box, a jar of red pepper flakes, and a stack of napkins on the coffee table.

“You got my favorite kind,” Gigi says in surprise as she opens the box to see pepperoni _and_ pineapple, one thing they actually agree about. She smiles at Crystal and Crystal isn’t brave enough to say that everything about Gigi makes her a bit gooey inside.

“Getting your favorite pizza toppings seemed necessary,” she says before taking a big bite from her slice. “Not only are you letting me sleep here, you’re sharing your wine with me, too. And don’t think I didn’t notice but you have The Great British Bake Off ready to play on the TV.”

“It’s the least I could do,” she says. “You should take off your jacket, it’s not that cold in here.” Gigi points to Crystal’s worn-out denim jacket. “Also, I know that’s your favorite, I don’t want you getting a wine stain or pizza grease on it.” 

At this, Crystal notices that Gigi is in nothing but a sports bra and a pair of running shorts. “I didn’t want to come in here and start throwing my clothes off,” Crystal says. But she’s right, it’s not cold. In fact, it is a little bit warm. What with the wine and her denim jacket and joggers and Gigi sitting _so_ close.

Gigi laughs incredulously. “Crystal, I’ve walked into your place and thrown my clothes off almost immediately after you close the door countless times.”

Crystal makes a face at her. “But that’s different.”

“I suppose it is,” Gigi nods. She puts an arm around Crystal and leans back against the couch, pulling Crystal with her. Crystal relaxes against her chest as Gigi runs her fingers through Crystal’s curly hair again and again. 

“That feels nice.” They sit in silence, with only Bake Off quietly playing on the TV, eventually shifting positions where both of them are lying on the couch, Gigi’s arm around Crystal whose head is tucked into her chest. Crystal takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. This is altogether too comfortable. “I didn’t mean to bring negative energy here,” she whispers.

“You didn’t,” Gigi whispers back. “Besides, if you did, I can just smudge it away.” 

“Could we smudge the cafe, please?” Crystal chuckles as Gigi nods. She forgets that Gigi is this sage-burning, crystal-keeping, full moon-recharging little lady. She never thought Gigi would be _that_ girl. 

“We’ll do it tomorrow.”

“Thanks for letting me come over tonight. Even aside from a place to stay, I needed someone. A friendly face.” She’s just afraid to say she needs Gigi. Maybe that’s why she was hesitant to call her in the first place – all these feelings too much too soon.

There’s a flush on Gigi’s cheeks, and she looks like she wants to say something. She looks like Crystal determinedly. “Hey,” she says reaching for Crystal’s hand.

“Hmm?”

“You know I love you, right?”

Crystal moves so she can look at Gigi straight in the eyes. She doesn’t know. But she knows now. And she realizes she does too. Because in the long run, it’s never about the grand gestures. She can fly halfway across the world and show up on her doorstep with flowers and a ring in a velvet box and she’ll love it but it’s with this, the little things – the pineapple on the pizza, the not-chilled red wine, Bake Off on the TV – that she’ll remember a whole lot more. The large moments, they will pass. But the hundred thousand small moments, that’s what love is. 

“I love you, too.”

Gigi leans in to kiss Crystal gently and they lay there on the couch for a while, kissing slowly, moving nothing except their lips. Crystal likes this – the slow, sleepy kissing, so very soothing she could let it go on forever. She closes her eyes and lets herself just float along.


	7. Outtake4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Gigi seriously needs to learn how to speak even just a little French

Crystal looks up from her decorating station to see Gigi making her way across the kitchen, happily saying hello to everyone she passes. She watches her peek over Jan’s shoulder to watch her ice a multi-layered rainbow cake, offering words of praise before she moves on to Rock’s station littered with glitter and sprinkles to do the same. She watches her give Nicky a squeeze and a quick kiss on the cheek and linger for a moment to gush over Nicky’s new Instagram post of Juno in a tutu. She asks to borrow Juno for the weekend and Nicky agrees only if she promises not to return her with pink hair.

“Hi, sweets,” Gigi greets as she reaches Crystal’s station, making her way around the table to hug her from behind and nuzzle her nose against the back of her neck, inhaling her favorite scent that is a comforting mix of Crystal and butter and sugar. 

Crystal turns slightly to plant a kiss on Gigi’s cheek before going back to mixing frosting. “What’s gotten you so happy and bouncy today?”

“I’ve been day-drinking” Gigi giggles. That explains it — _slightly_ tipsy Gigi is a giggly Gigi and she’s cute; fully hammered Gigi is a different story. 

“Of course, you have,” Crystal says with a soft chuckle like it’s a normal occurrence. Gigi goes on to tell her about how her mom met up with her for lunch but the food was forgotten and it turned into a very early happy hour instead because both of them have no self-control. “Want anything to eat?” she offers, gesturing towards the front of the store. 

Crystal feels Gigi hook her chin over her shoulder and squeeze her waist tighter. “Mmm, I’m actually in the mood for a quickie,” she says loudly and giggles again. 

And at that moment Crystal wills the ground to swallow her whole as she sees everyone look up from their stations directly at her. “What? Now?” she asks in a high-pitched tone, characteristically Crystal when she’s nervous or excited or unsure of herself. Honestly, Gigi doesn’t have to be so loud if she really is in the mood. She’s literally right next to her ear, the whole kitchen doesn’t have to know.

Gigi nods. “Mmhmm.”

“ _Now_ now?” 

“You _asked_ ,” Gigi whines. Crystal sees Nicky quietly snickering from two stations away, waiting to see how Crystal is going to respond. She sees Jan and Rock trying so hard not to pay them any mind. But she sees it in their faces that their attention is fully at them, also waiting.

“Um, well, okay,” she says, fumbling with her spatula trying to move quickly to cover her already colored frosting. “Now, okay.” She turns towards the sink to wash her hands but in the height of her embarrassment, she forgets that Gigi is still attached to her. She almost trips over her own feet when she feels Gigi steady her. 

“You okay?”

Crystal nods. “Yeah, mmhmm, I’m okay.” Gigi narrows her eyes at Crystal for her sudden shift in behavior. “Office,” she says walking and pointing towards the door while dragging Gigi behind her. She makes it a point not to make eye contact with anyone else in the kitchen but Gigi has the audacity to bounce excitedly and wave goodbye to the other girls. 

Nicky waves them off with a smirk. “Eat well!” she calls out but Crystal just flips her off without even looking back. 

She ushers Gigi into the back office and locks the door behind her. “Really, Gee, you didn’t have to let everyone hear,” Crystal says as she makes her way towards Gigi who has settled herself on her office chair. 

“Why? What’s to hide about wanting a quickie?” Crystal knew Gigi was unapologetic. But not like _that_. 

“I’d rather that my kitchen staff didn’t know about my sex life, thanks very much. Nicky is a different story because she knows everything but really?” Crystal shrugs. 

Gigi furrows her brows as she gets up from the chair. “Who’s talking about sex?”

Crystal scratches at her head in confusion. “You, Gee. You just said you were in the mood for a quickie.”

“I know,” Gigi huffs. “And I am. So why are we here?”

“Would you rather that we do it in the kitchen where everyone can see?”

“Um, yes?”

“What?”

“I could go out to the dining area if you don’t want me making a mess in the kitchen.”

Crystal takes a deep breath. There’s something she’s missing here and she can’t quite put a finger on it. “Gee, what are you talking about?”

“I’m in the mood for a quickie.”

“Not here in the office but out in the kitchen or the dining area,” Crystal repeats. Gigi nods. “I didn’t think you’d ever want anyone to watch, especially those you see on a regular basis.” Not that she’s actually considering having sex out in the open. 

“I mean, it’d be rude if they watch me eat but you sell food and people eat here, I’m assuming that shouldn’t be weird.”

“Eat what? I’m so confused right now.”

“I said I’m in the mood for a quickie. You know those French tarts you have with the bacon and leeks and cheese?”

Crystal starts laughing hysterically, she has to lean against the wall to steady herself. And Gigi is just standing there awkwardly trying to figure out what caused this sudden laughing fit. 

“Crystal, why are you laughing?” she asks, trying to contain the building annoyance at Crystal’s inability to just get her food. And why is she laughing because she wants to eat after she offered food? Rude.

It takes a moment for Crystal to calm down. “Baby,” she starts, still trying to catch her breath. “did you mean quiche?” she continues when she finally has enough air in her. 

“Crystal,” she whines, hiding her face in her hands, annoyance quickly turning into burning humiliation when she realizes how bad it sounded when she said she was in the mood for a quickie out loud. “I can never show my face here again.”

Crystal wants to tell her she’s embarrassed too. She’s supposed to be Jan and Rock’s boss and they’re out there fully believing her girlfriend came to the shop to tell her she’s in the mood for a quickie and she’s _actually_ having sex in the office during work hours. 

“You’re lucky you’re cute.” She tells her it’s going to be fine, no one will remember this. But Gigi tells her that it’s not fine; Nicky remembers everything. She reminds Crystal that Nicky never fails to tell anyone who would listen about the story of how drunk she was at their housewarming party. She’s sure she will never live it down. 

Crystal takes Gigi in her arms and rubs comforting circles on her back, still trying to suppress the remaining sputtering of laughter left in her body. “Come on, let’s go get you that quiche,” she urges. She doesn’t know what else to say to make her feel less embarrassed so she leads Gigi back out into the kitchen. 

They turn the corner back into the kitchen to see everyone looking at them with a knowing grin on their faces. Rock starts a slow clap that Jan immediately aborts with a firm swat to her arm. 

“Wow, that was the quickest quickie ever,” Nicky comments. The tone in her voice is shocked but also laced with pride for her best friend. 

“Nicky,” Crystal warns, narrowing her eyes at her. 

“What?”

“It’s not like that.” Nicky makes a face at Crystal that says she doesn’t believe her. 

Crystal walks over to Nicky to pinch her arm. “Did you wash your hands?” Nicky teases, moving away before Crystal could even touch her.

“Nicky, stop it!” She widens her eyes at her best friend; poor Gigi shouldn’t be subjected to this kind of teasing over a small misunderstanding. “She was in the mood for quiche.” 

Nicky burst out laughing, quickly picking up that it was just Gigi being her normal dumb self. Jan and Rock are trying so hard to fight it until they see Gigi’s red hot face. The kitchen is suddenly a symphony of snorts and deep-bellied laughs and gasps for air.

“It’s true, I’m dumb. I don’t know why my mom ever thought I was ready for real human interaction,” Gigi says when she finally catches her breath and Crystal tugs at her hand, pulling her out into the main store. “I really just wanted quiche.”

“Gigi, darling, you need some serious French lessons. Juno will teach you this weekend,” Nicky says waving them off to the dining area, leaving Jan and Rock still giggling over their unfinished cakes.


End file.
